Satgen300   For Consideration After your Xmas Dinner  by GM4IHJ   24Dec94
BID of this msg is SGEN300  Please use this BID if you retransmit this msg

One of the pleasures of producing 300 weekly Satgen bulletins since April
89 , has been the feedback of comments from readers around the world. This
feedback is vital if this writer is to stay on course and give readers
what they want. So herewith are grateful thanks for comments ,
destructive, constructive, simple, complex or wide ranging. Your
assistance is much appreciated. But where do we go from here ?
Clear favourites in past issues have been Dove and its telemetry, RS10 and
RS12, plus topics about antenna polarisation , and the 100 and one other
problems by which Space operation differs from terrestrial operation.
Another favourite topic and clearly the most popular issue of all has been
communications with manned space operations. Both SAREX and Cosmonaut
communications have gone far beyond the expectations of their original
organisers. Indeed it is probably fair to say that "More Radio Amateurs
have taken part in this form of Space communication, than any others
including Amateur satellites ". Is this a comment on how far Amsat has
failed to interest Radio Amateurs generally in satellite communications 
Perhaps the brief successes of Oscar21 and Oscar27 give a better
explanation, suggesting as they do that simple FM operation is much
preferred to the more complex modes. What steps should be taken to build
on this obvious trend ?. Can we further improve communication
opportunities with mannned space vehicles, by supplying money for
equipment, rather than spending it on rarely used digisats ?
It would be interesting to know what more Satgen readers think.
In selecting material for Satgen the writer tries to plan well ahead ,
producing blocks of satgens on common topics , and interupting this flow
now and then with more topical and timely bulletins as the opportunity
arises. Proposals for the next few months include a set of bulletins
reviewing shortcomings and failures in past Amsats and commercial sats.
Thereby trying to set up some constructive discussion regarding what might
perhaps best be avoided in future. Equally important the whole pattern of
satellite building clearly needs to be addressed. At present the fact has
to be acknowledged that satellite building initiatives no longer reside
with Amsat members. Apart from the Phase 3D project , dangerously
extending finances and building resources, in an "All our Eggs in one
basket situation", most satellites are being built outside Amateur Radio
by University and National groups. Is this a situation we can change ?
When will Amsat get back to putting money into the cheaper mode A and J
LEO satellites that most Radio Amateur satellite users say they want ?
So summarising this brief 300th essay into Amsats past, present and
future. Where are we going ? At present there is no sign of serious debate
on these topics. Where are the forward thinkers and prophets of Amsat ? We
have had notice of the Lawyers and Politicians , but where are those who
are prepared to step up and start some intelligent debate about Amsats
future. Are we to go into the 21st century blindfolded and shackled to the
varied University (put em up and generally forget em) operations which
seem to work only once every ten weeks or so. Because one Phase 3D swallow
will not make an Amsat summer . Perhaps this writer will have to go back
to replaying his tapes of Oscar 6 and Oscar 7B. After the recent Ariane
launch mishap we had better get down and pray to our Gods for deliverance
via Phase 3 , even if that will be too expensive to operate for many of
our radio amateur community. 73  or should it be RIP de GM4IHJ @ GB7SAN